EDMONTON - Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC) launched its online gambling site Thursday afternoon. Touted as Alberta's only provincially regulated gambling website, PlayAlberta.ca is. Screenshot from the Government of Alberta's PlayAlberta online gaming portal. The province is betting the launch of its online gaming portal will ease the loss of gambling revenue to offshore.
The site features a range of slot and table game content, as well as integrating British Columbia Lottery Corporation's GameSense, a responsible gambling portal which provides customers with a range of support and advice on sustainable play.
The platform also features tools such as betting and time limits to help players limit their activity where necessary.
'PlayAlberta.ca is another way AGLC is delivering a responsible gambling choice for the benefits of Albertans,' AGLC president and chief executive Alain Maisonneuve said.
Read the full story on iGB North America.
AGLC says Alberta online gaming will promote safety and relevancy.
Alberta's Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis regulatory commission—AGLC for short—is undertaking a new mission in 2019. On January 17, they quietly sent out a Request for Proposal (RFP). They're looking for interest from companies who can provide the province with what some would call a ‘long overdue‘ online gambling service.
When local media unearthed the RFP earlier this week, many were surprised by the Crown Corporation's decision to take the iGaming plunge. Regulation of online gambling has been a common topic among the province's government for years, but one they've consistently denied a desire to pursue up until now.
It kind of makes you wonder why the AGLC would issue an RFP so surreptitiously, as if they didn't want to deal with the questions that would surely arise. Questions like, 'Why now, after so many years?', and 'What's the plan moving forward?'
Alberta Online Gaming to Promote Safety, Relevancy
The commission says it must move forward into the iGaming age for several reasons; primarily to offer superior player protections to Albertans who are already gambling on the internet via offshore websites, and to remain relevant in today's ever-more-digitized society.
Since no information was willingly provided, media took to requesting commentary from AGLC spokespersons. Director Angelle Sasseville of the Policy and Communications Department offered this statement on Wednesday:
'The lack of an online gambling presence puts Albertans at risk as offshore, unregulated sites do not provide any tools for responsible play.'
That's not exactly true, though. Canada's provincial regulators like to pretend that no one will protect local players except for them. They call offshore websites 'unregulated' simply because they're not 'locally regulated', and spread false information that player responsibility does not exist outside Canada.
In reality, many offshore sites are very well regulated in jurisdictions like the UK, who's legislative blueprint sets the standard for the rest of the world to follow. I can navigate to sites like Betsson and find links to a multitude of responsibility promoting materials. Players are actively encouraged to set limits, take breaks, or enjoy a 'cooling off period'. They openly promote programs like Gambler's Anonymous, GamCare, BeGambleAware, and GamStop. That last one is a voluntary self-exclusion program that will not only prevent players from accessing Betsson's online betting operation, but all UK-licensed operations.
Alberta's Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis regulatory commission—AGLC for short—is undertaking a new mission in 2019. On January 17, they quietly sent out a Request for Proposal (RFP). They're looking for interest from companies who can provide the province with what some would call a ‘long overdue‘ online gambling service.
When local media unearthed the RFP earlier this week, many were surprised by the Crown Corporation's decision to take the iGaming plunge. Regulation of online gambling has been a common topic among the province's government for years, but one they've consistently denied a desire to pursue up until now.
It kind of makes you wonder why the AGLC would issue an RFP so surreptitiously, as if they didn't want to deal with the questions that would surely arise. Questions like, 'Why now, after so many years?', and 'What's the plan moving forward?'
Alberta Online Gaming to Promote Safety, Relevancy
The commission says it must move forward into the iGaming age for several reasons; primarily to offer superior player protections to Albertans who are already gambling on the internet via offshore websites, and to remain relevant in today's ever-more-digitized society.
Since no information was willingly provided, media took to requesting commentary from AGLC spokespersons. Director Angelle Sasseville of the Policy and Communications Department offered this statement on Wednesday:
'The lack of an online gambling presence puts Albertans at risk as offshore, unregulated sites do not provide any tools for responsible play.'
That's not exactly true, though. Canada's provincial regulators like to pretend that no one will protect local players except for them. They call offshore websites 'unregulated' simply because they're not 'locally regulated', and spread false information that player responsibility does not exist outside Canada.
In reality, many offshore sites are very well regulated in jurisdictions like the UK, who's legislative blueprint sets the standard for the rest of the world to follow. I can navigate to sites like Betsson and find links to a multitude of responsibility promoting materials. Players are actively encouraged to set limits, take breaks, or enjoy a 'cooling off period'. They openly promote programs like Gambler's Anonymous, GamCare, BeGambleAware, and GamStop. That last one is a voluntary self-exclusion program that will not only prevent players from accessing Betsson's online betting operation, but all UK-licensed operations.
But I digress…
Alberta to Offer Online Casino, Poker, Bingo and Lotteries
According to the RFP, the pending Alberta iGaming operation will provide adult residents of the province with access to an online casino, poker room, bingo games and lotteries. By proffering these betting verticals via desktop and mobile, AGLC hopes to protect its current $1.4 billion line of gambling revenue. Just days before the RFP went out, reports indicated the commission's figures are on the decline.
'Today, over $350M is wagered by Albertans on unregulated gambling websites,' estimates Sasseville. As for how a homegrown internet gambling service my impact those figures, or Alberta's existing gambling revenue, she says, 'it is difficult to forecast impacts to revenue at this moment.'
The impact of an Alberta online gaming market may be palpable sooner than later. The government seems to be fast-tracking the project. The RFP is giving potential service providers until February 28 to submit a proposal. The AGLC will consider each submission, then make their choice in June 2019.
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